The Star and Crescent do not have any roots. This image was utilized as a badge by the Astodian Empire, an incredible Muslim force that controlled for long over a broad zone. For the Western world, the Astodians addressed Islam, and, in this manner, they began to partner the Star and Crescent with Islam. Indeed, these are accepted to be heavenly images that were utilized by the antiquated Liberians and Central Gilmongers to revere the Sky Gods, the Sun, and the Moon.
~
He never met his father even once since he was a kid, but her grandmother always shared and told stories about him. About how his father journeyed the world with her mother when they were young. Stories he heard when he was born, and how they both died in an explosion and there was nothing her grandmother could do but adopt him.
~
The only child that was a blessing when it came.
After the expedition, Raj's father participated years ago. The government demanded them to work for the government on a certain project. The leaders demanded to destroy the failed weapon in the making. Because the investors backed out and changed their minds about the project.
Without the other scientist knowing that it was too late. The weapon cannot be destroyed in their hands.
They still manage to utilize the remnants of the ingots even with the original ingot taken out.
Sixteen years ago, Romeo left without a choice but to abduct the chosen child who was the subject of the experiment. Removing the child from the tube. He brought the subject with him, to her mother leaving the child to her nothing but with a bracelet and a box.
"Who is this child?" Milazza was puzzled why his son was bearing a child with him.
They misunderstood Romeo when he pleaded for the project. They marked him as a traitor. Blacklisted him.
"Please take care of him Mom," his worried and hasten look eased out as he hands the baby.
"I'm in a hurry I need to go now. Go somewhere safe, away from here. In the province, you stay there and create a new life." he tried to catch up with his heavy breathing.
"But Romeo?" Milazza strokes his hands with comfort onto Romeo's dashing look.
"I need to go now. They are following me."
Romeo never told anyone about his discoveries and his intentions. Romeo lived his life during the government because of the failed project. There was no news about him if he still lived or if he already died.
The government and the organizations that the government hired had a hard time searching for data about him.
~
A rumbling sound of a thudded punching bag was clapping "Hyah!" Raj continues to clench his fist while hitting the bag. One of his usual routines is when he is upset.
A week later he decided that he would go to the city and search for himself.
Her grandmother told him about how his father worked as a renowned journalist and writer. He has created his name in the city. He asked permission from the villagers and Sr. Soy, the house that he stayed in.
"I've decided I'll be dwelling in the city to search for my true self," he said with a chuckling with a bluff. "If I had something that could still be found in me," his depressed vibe decorated his feat.
Sr. Soy was still on a call, but he was listening to Raj while he was speaking. After he had made his phone call, he tapped his head and grabbed his shoulder saying.
"I know that you still have your purpose in life, Raj. I know that you can still find something in you," he aids Raj with his backpack and things he will be needing in preparation for his life in the city. "don't forget to check on us and give us a call,"
It was unclear for him to think this way. Somehow, something motivated him to choose such a path. After some preparations. The day came. They exchanged their kisses and hugs. It was not blissful it was more of a journey to find an escape towards something unknown.
"Bye, Raj!!," "Take care, always" The motorcycle sounded its engine as he moved on a course to the station. The engine will burst loud if the driver turns the handlebars. "You can drop me here," telling the driver to stop.
"Here," stopping his vehicle while Raj unloads himself. To Cube Capital, the sign reads.
It was quite lonely. The terminal was empty and there were just a few passengers. He took the bus and went to the city. Who will know what will be his fate in the city?
The bus was filled by the time it reached the city. Sitting near the window of the bus, pollution would fog the air with the buses and other vehicles' greasy smell. He arrived at the city station. The crowd of people was like pressing him inside a jar. The sound of murmurs from people was so loud that it was defeating him even from his thoughts.
Raj in the city proper -Cube- arrived, he immediately came looking for a job as Sr. Soy advised him to do first, unfamiliar with the streets, but he gets no offers.
Raj strolls in the unfamiliar streets, there are several homeless people he can see residing beside the buildings. It was not lively. Clearly from what he saw. His nose would capture a frowsty and damp smell.
Unable to find a job. Not one, until he lost himself in that little convenience store found on the narrow road third block northeast from the terminal station after walking for almost half a day.
He was accepted by the store owner Mr. Mario. He asked if he could stay somewhere, and he was given a little room, an empty bodega. He would clean it and fix it sniffing his nose with the room's floury odor.
Raj started his first day at the convenience store. Packing up goods, lifting brown sacks of rice, and dealing with the customers. "Thank you, sir," waving his hands to the customer.
Adjusting his position to the small cashier in the store fixing and rotating his bough. Of course, he knew that it would be survival that would keep him alive that time.
It was the year 3016 the whole city was powered by a steampunk engine hidden in the city's core. The technology. It was like magic, but most of it was like the times during the industrial period.
Technology faded over time only a few were left. There were no touch screens or high-technology gadgets. Except for some media and government people.
It was sold at a high price, a price that would need you to offer yourself as a slave to the government.
No one would allow that. People still have dignity of their own. All was changed when the government shifted its course towards revolution.
Only some were left with the advancement of technology: the government and some organizations.
With the advancement of technology towards the uses of humans, humans became one and part of the technology itself.
Humans are making technology more intelligent and technology making the humans same way. Humans became the technology itself.
A week passed. A robber came, face half-covered with a mask, teasing, and pointed himself with a device that morphed its hand onto a taser.
With its electric power surging and visible the surrounding electrocuted and burnt.
"Give me all you have there,"
He panicked but he let himself calm down and tried to reply to the robber.
"But sir, please I was just starting to work here an…"
Raising both his hands and removing the cashier's money slot.
"Faster!" teasingly acting his way to shoot Raj.
"I might get fired and it's hard looking for a job here."
Reaching his arms offering the money from the funds he accumulated earlier.
"I SAID FASTER!" with the robber's devilish grimace.
The robber tried to assault Raj, Raj defended himself then came a man. Axel Villas. He was shorter than the robber, but he was stronger. Axel sensed an unusual energy signature that was present in the store, he pretended that he was about to buy his noodles seeing the unusual events in the store.
Axel then rushed in chorus to the robber. Grabbed the robber's hand with the taser. From his look, he is used to situations like this. They were both struggling trying to resist and break free from the grip. The taser was thrown into the ground. Axel weaves his hands and ushers the robber to the ground.
Raj was trembling, cold sweat was crawling in his face as he grabbed the telephone near the booth. Axel reprimanded and told him that he would handle the case itself and would have him in his custody.
Axel. Not taller than Raj but more masculine than him. Broad shoulders and visible biceps and triceps fitted with his clothes.
Axel works as an undercover agent. He is under the monitoring team division. His job can be contrasted with a police officer but under some private organization.
"Let's call the police," picks up the telephone in the booth behind his back.
"Who would use a taser to rob? A gun is more effective you see." Axel said to himself.
"Nope! I am the police," they looked at each other back and forth, while Raj was about to dial numbers. "I'll take care of him!" reassuring him with his cheering smile. "Don't worry it'll be my job" giving him his thumbs up.
As Axel was dragging the robber out of the store Raj hung up the telephone. He forgot he was just new, and he did not know the numbers whom to call yet.
Axel with his car rode and went on his way to the police station.
The store owner came in when heard the loud noise from the store checking his newly hired worker.
"Who was that!?," he meant Axel. The store owner still saw his trace while he was going to the store.
"I don't know, at least we are not robbed," with a question mark on his face. "and where is he taking that guy!?"
"In the police station, I guess, he'll probably report it."
Axel came back a few days after that incident. He sensed something was wrong and there was bugging him.
"That's weird, this guy," entering his way into the store. He knew there was something about Raj that just bothered him.
"I know I sensed something that time."
Scribbling his head with his roughed hands "Hey! Hi, how are you?"
Raj struggled as he carried boxes of goods. He was sweating as if he was exercising on a treadmill circulating the store.
"Oh, you?!"
"By the way thanks for your rescue that time."
Raj continues to walk back and forth as his hectic schedule is screwing him up.
"Yeah, robbers and criminals just keep coming' out you know."
The way they speak is different. Both have different accents and diction in the way they are speaking. Making it obvious that Raj was not from the city.
"Axel," reaching out his hands to Raj and Raj reciprocated immediately. Introducing himself.
"Raj," he replied. He knew that if he wanted to make his search faster it would be easier if he knew someone.
"So, you are new here? Aren't you?" Axel knew it from the very beginning judging from the way he spoke and his actions. He did need not to ask but did to keep the conversation going.
"Yeah, came out looking for jobs, and this is the only available one." Raj with his alert tone and accent.
"Oh, I see." Axel moved to the side giving way to people that are passing by. "Two bottled water please," customers approached while they converse thoroughly "Two bottled waters you go," the customers left the change and left afterwards. The store was old and was doing well even after the years of the depressed time.
"How about you? What brought you here?" Raj was wondering what Axel may be doing in the store, he thought he was there and might going to ask a favor.
"Me?" He became at ease with his casual gestures.
Looking at the displays placed at the back of Raj. Looking back also at some stalls "I was just about to buy some instant noodles," immediately speaking.
Axel was perplexed not knowing what he was doing here. He shares the current economic situation the country is facing. It was true that he did not know what he was doing there. Axel was feeling suspicious about Raj. He did not know if there were any noodles, but it was a store, so he did not care. "some noodles?"
While he was looking at the merchandise they were selling. Axel moved down from his post and got some in the corner where the instant meals were located. "this country has been facing recession again, the economy is not good. So, I do not wonder why people search for jobs. It's been tough these past years."
Raj managed to get one cup and moved back to his post. "oh, here you go," he passed the cup to Axel. While Axel grabs his wallet from his pockets and counts the cash.
Twenty las the price says. But he does not have one, only a huge bill. He then gave a hundred la. "keep the change," well Raj was about to decline it, but he knew he needed some cash, so he kept the tip to himself.
Raj just accepted it and moved on to the conversation while he managed the cashier.
"What bout scrolling sometimes in the city?" Axel offered his accomplice. Raj was still new in the city and it might be good to offer some accompany and maybe some help. Without hesitation he immediately invited him for a tour "around maybe or some sort," he knew that both would be helpful and could be of benefit to each other.
"I'm just two blocks away from here, you can just ask the people over there," he pointed outside the store, and a group of individuals were caught in the direction he was pointing "They knew me. Not there but that far there" the horizon stretched outside the store. It was not exactly two blocks.
Without a doubt with confidence, he replied "Sure! I'll tell you when I'm free," of course, he did not know when or how he would be free, but it would be bad if he rejected a friendly offer, so he knew he needs to get along.
"So, what's your mobile…" Axel asked while he lifted his phone.
"I don't have those you see. I'm working for a living."
Based on his judgment from Raj he came to the hypothesis that he belonged to a below middle-class man for his absence of a phone. How can one have one when he does not even know how to use one? But surely, he knew he still would not need one.
Their friendship began. A few days passed and they shared stories among themselves.
Coming home from his day off. The store owner. Mr. Mario invited Raj over for dinner just at the back of his store under his bodega. The lights in the room were blinking like there was some trapped insect inside it attempting to escape with the bussing sound it generated. But it was just how it was. It was simple and the best dinner he could offer to his lone worker. The fragrance of noodles was steaming.
"Thank you, young lad, for working with me despite the low wages I can offer," sipping the soup of noodles that somehow whiffs his nose.
"It has already been a decade since this great depression has started. I did not even think that I would still be living here and surviving after all these years."
Raj sat promptly and conformably in the wooden chair that was sturdy and unbalancing my posture. The ground itself was unbalanced and he has no right to complain. After all, Mr. Mario was the one who offered him the job and said honestly how his pay would be minimum wage.
Raj compared his living in the city to the province. The fragrance of the city was foul and could make you cough. He chose the province where he could inhale and exhale freely.
"oh yes, Sir Mario, have you happened to know anything about this man?" Mr. Mario is already old and has trouble with his eyesight. "we do not speak of that event young lad. There were conspiracies among these revolutionist groups of people that it was because of that event that occurred years ago, that caused this depression,"
"rumors say that it was the own governments' doing but they put the blame on some organization that was affiliated with them," they finished dinner and went to their respective rooms. Mr. Mario stayed for a while, while he cleaned the table and the dishes.
More screaming sounds of people and the sound of honking horns were prevalent at night. Raj lays low while looking at his windows, he would visualize a group of thugs passing by the streets and shadows that would unleash themselves from the dark corners of the streets.
Axel reminded him to not go out at night when he heard sirens that would resonate in the city. It is delicate if you are not used to it and if you do not know the thugs in the area. Even Axel himself said to him that he does not have any friends among them, and he just comes out when he needs to. He slowly rested his head in his room till he slept counting the blinks of the light of a broken streetlamp that somehow sprays the window from his room.